Touched By An Angel
by libra-gurl
Summary: FuukoxTokiya. Very, very sappy, gomen! Expect total OOCness, ne! XD
1. Hokage...Have a Party? You're Kidding, R...

Author's note: My first ever Flame of Recca fanfiction. :p As others of my fictions are, it's a Tokiya/Fuuko thingie, so don't flame me or anything. And sadly, I don't own Flame of Recca nor do I admit on owning them. Who said that? Itai!!!  
  
It was just another day where Team Hokage lazily sit around at the park and talking rubbish—just having fun after they finally defeat (well, in a sense, not really defeat) Kurei and the Uruha Team. And boy, was that tough. :)  
  
"It seems like a long time since I ever had a rest this peaceful, ne?" Recca said, putting his arm around Yanagi's shoulders.  
  
"No kidding," Fuuko said, playing with her Fuujin. "I thought we'd never have these kind of days where you can just be lazy, sitting around and just talking rubbish—"  
  
"Like monkeys?" Tokiya said.  
  
"Eh, Mikagami, lighten up, ne?" Domon said, laughing.  
  
Koganei grinned. "I love the old days where I always kick butt, though."  
  
"Nanii?" Yanagi said. "You should be grateful those days are over, Koganei-san."  
  
"Eh, whatever you say, Yanagi-sama…" Koganei said, sweatdrop on his head and scratching the back of his head. "So, as I was saying, I'm grateful those days are over, eh?"  
  
"We should have a celebration for this," Recca suddenly said.  
  
"Eh?" Fuuko, Yanagi, Domon, Tokiya and Koganei said in unison.  
  
"Seriously," he said, turning to the rest of the team. "We should have a party or something—and invite everyone we fought in the competition. It would be like a reunion of us celebrating the Hokage Win."  
  
"You know what?" Fuuko said, smiling. "As whacked as that sounds, I would actually enjoy that…" *Imagined Raiha coming and blushing a little* "It would be great."  
  
Domon look at Fuuko and can only imagine what Fuuko was thinking about. "Eh? If Fuuko thinks it's great, then I think it'll be great. It'll be like a date for us, ne, Fuuko?"  
  
Fuuko gave a little glare at Domon. "Don't go there."  
  
"Why don't we have a party?" Koganei asked. "I mean, it would actually be fun… we could even invite Kurei-sama to the party, ne?"  
  
Recca rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, that would be a great reunion—'hi, Kurei! It's great fighting and beating you! Welcome to the party, enjoy!'"  
  
"Ne, he wouldn't mind…" Yanagi said, smiling sweetly.  
  
Fuuko grinned. "What do you think, Mi-chan?"  
  
Mikagami shrugged. "Whatever. As if I'm going."  
  
"Nanii?" Recca exclaimed. "It's the party for Hokage, ne?! Even mom and Ganko would be there. How anti-social can you be? Oh wait, we're talking about Mikagami, I'm sorry."  
  
Domon snorts. "Baka, Mikagami! You'll be there, ne?"  
  
Mikagami gave them an icy glare. "We'll just see."  
  
"Boy, we sure haven't changed," Koganei commented.  
  
***  
  
So the team really worked hard on planning the party and thinking up on whom to invite (that would be hard for a bunch of monkeys… ai... ^^;). Anyway, when it comes to handing out the invitations, people have to have their shares—even Mikagami (grudgingly) accepted that term.  
  
Recca sighed. "Ai, I hope this party will go well."  
  
"No fighting," Kagerou said.  
  
"As if—all people that are invited are fighting machines…" Domon thought… "Ah well…"  
  
"Ai… I miss Gashakura the most, no?" Fuuko said, smiling. "That fight was awesome…"  
  
"Uh, did we invite Saicho and the others from their team?" Koganei asked Recca, sweatdrop appearing behind his head…  
  
"Nanii? Of course we did…" Recca said.  
  
"Even Fujimaru-sama, Recca-kun?" Yanagi said.  
  
"Oh, drat…" Recca said, turning into Chibi Recca.  
  
"Nanii?!" Fuuko said. "You mean that guy who humiliates me, ne?!?!"  
  
Mikagami laughed softly. "Turns out this'll be as exciting as the match, ne, Hanabishi?"  
  
Recca stuck out a tongue. "Thought you're not coming."  
  
"On certain occasions, we'll see, ne?" Mikagami said, smiling.  
  
"Ai," Domon said, letting out a sigh. "Don't worry, Fuuko! I will protect you from that pervert! He will not lay his hands on your precious bod—"  
  
*Fuuko punched Domon in the face*  
  
"Ai, that must hurt more than that match with Magensha…" Recca said, laughing.  
  
"Nanii ten yo?" Domon asked, his lips forming a perv smile. "I love being touched by Fuuko-san…"  
  
And with that, Domon received another hit, but this time Fuuko used a Japanese fan which appeared out of nowhere… Ne, I guess something doesn't change…  
  
***  
  
And so, the day of the party arrived… :) Everyone was waiting impatiently for guests to arrive, especially Fuuko-chan… We can all guess who she's waiting for, ne? Hmm… something tells me it begins with an 'R'… Wonder who could that be?  
  
"Fuuko-san, stop fidgeting…" Yanagi said, smiling. "He'll be here…"  
  
"What? Who? I'm waiting for nobody!" Fuuko said, embarrassed that even Yanagi realized she's waiting for someone that is none other than Raiha. "I'm just… I just need to go to the bathroom."  
  
"Nice cover, Kirisawa," Mikagami said, smirking as Fuuko went by him to the bathroom.  
  
"Shove it, Mi-chan." Fuuko glared at him as usual.  
  
"Oh, here comes the first guess, Recca-kun," Yanagi said as she looked out the window… "It's Saicho-san…"  
  
Fuuko looked out. "Heh, he's wearing something different for a change," she said.  
  
"Since when do you look at Saicho's clothes, Fuuko?" Domon asked with tears streaming down his face.  
  
"Konnichiwa, Yanagi-chan," Saicho said as he entered Recca's house. (Since Recca was the one who suggested the party, his house was the first and last vote :p )  
  
"No problem," Recca answered for Yanagi, grinning.  
  
"Minna, Mikagami…" Saicho said, smiling.  
  
Mikagami just nodded, obviously in his usual self. "Konnichiwa."  
  
"Eh, here comes Fujimaru, ne…" Yanagi said, a little worried. But she lets him in anyway, as she thinks it'll be a little rude to invite people but not let them join the party.  
  
"Oy…" Fuuko said, sighing. "I'll be in Recca's room, okay?"  
  
"Eh?! Why my room?!"  
  
"Do I have a choice?" Fuuko entered Recca's room and locked it before he could retort anymore.  
  
"Baka," Recca muttered.  
  
Fujimaru entered the house, looking around. "Eh, where's Fuuko? I still haven't fulfilled my promise that when she wins, I'll suck her—"  
  
*Fujimaru received Domon's kick on his pervert face*  
  
"Oo-kay…" Koganei said, sighing.  
  
"Oh, the others have arrived!" Yanagi exclaimed happily, looking out the window. "Even Kurei-sama showed up, Recca-kun… And Gashakura too, Fuuko."  
  
Fuuko came out of Recca's room, smiling. "Aah, it's time to thank him for that fight, ne?"  
  
Fujimaru brightens up at the sight of Fuuko and hurried over to her. "Fuuko!" *Goes into Domon-mode when Domon sees Fuuko most of the time* "Want me to fulfill my promise I made to you, ne?"  
  
Fuuko punched Fujimaru, who went flying in the air. "Don't even think about it, Fujimaru." *Have that sour look on her face*  
  
"Daijoubu ka?" asked Yanagi, who was too nice not to be concerned even with Fujimaru. Ai…  
  
All of the others who are invited came in, and Gashakura got stuck trying to get in.  
  
"Kamirinai hodo, I will fulfill my promise, Fuuko…!" Fujimaru said, tears streaming down on his face. (Oh, by the way, 'kamirinai hodo' means something like 'as far as I can try')  
  
"Nanii?! What are you talking about?!" Fuuko kicked Fujimaru on the head a few times. "Hi, Gashakura. That was a great fight, ne? We should fight once more."  
  
"Yeah, you're right," Gashakura said.  
  
"Fuuko, we could have a fight!" Fujimaru said, grinning. He started waving his "Fuuko Fan Club" flag, grinning all the time.  
  
"Shut up!" Fuuko said, kicking Fujimaru once again, pinning him on the ground.  
  
Sweatdrop appeared on Gashakura's head. "Oh yeah, tell Recca I'll fix his doorway soon." *Gave a sheepish grin* Fuuko looked at the destroyed doorway.  
  
"Itadakimasu!" Yanagi exclaimed happily, bringing out a delicious- looking chocolate cake.  
  
Fuuko, who have a good appetite, took a piece of cake and bite into it. "Ummm… Yanagi, is there anything that you can't do?"  
  
"Yes, shout," Koganei said. He noticed Yanagi looked a little embarrassed and quickly said, "Not that I don't mind. I mean, if you can't shout, you won't be that much of a Fuuko, ne?"  
  
"Nanii ten yo?! You wanna get killed?" Fuuko said, running around chasing Koganei. "Come here, you little brat!"  
  
"Aii… and I thought tonight had no entertainment," Mikagami said, shaking his head, looking at Fuuko who was still chasing Koganei.  
  
"Shut up, you okama!" Fuuko said.  
  
"NANII?!" Then Mikagami started chasing Fuuko while Fuuko chased Koganei.  
  
"Oy, Mikagami! Aren't you a little old for tag?!" Recca yelled, putting his arms around Yanagi, while Yanagi just smiles crookedly, having sweatdrop on her head.  
  
"So how's the party, everyone?" Recca asked everyone, including the ones who just entered.  
  
"Sugoiiii!!!"  
  
Recca grinned. "Just as I thought, ne, mom?"  
  
Kagerou just shrugged and smiled. "I'm too old for parties."  
  
"Oh yeah, 400 years is really old…" Recca said, turning to Yanagi. "We should've thought about this earlier…"  
  
Yanagi smiles, but suddenly out of nowhere appear Tatsuko, the referee who was caught kissing Recca on the battlefield before Recca fight the 'ninja' Kashamaru. "Recca-kunnnn!!!"  
  
Yanagi said to Tatsuko a little jealously, "Tatsuko-san…konnichiwa, minna-san. I'm glad you could make it…"  
  
"Uh-huh, Yanagi-sama!" Tatsuko said, smiling. "Can I have a kiss with Recca-kun? I didn't finish when my friend pulled me away from him…ne?"  
  
And with that, Yanagi just delivered her first and probably the last punch to Tatsuko. Everyone was aghast and all jaws open. This is a first of Yanagi hurting anyone.  
  
"Waaa… remind me to not cross your path…" Recca said, sweatdrop on his head. "Come on, Yanagi, you know you're the only one, okay?"  
  
"Aii." Yanagi looked a little embarrassed.  
  
"With the right motivation, she would make a good fighter," Koganei said…  
  
"Okay… uh, I think that was enough fight," Mikagami said as he returned with bruises on his face, and so did Fuuko. Koganei only had a little bump on his head.  
  
"That was fun, ne?" Fuuko said. :)  
  
"Tasukete…" Fujimaru said out of nowhere. "I need…Fuuko."  
  
"No kidding, so do I," Koku said, grabbing Fuuko's breasts and hanging on to her as he did before.  
  
"Aaaaiiieeee!" Fuuko screamed. "Get of off me, you pervert!"  
  
"No need to be so mad," Koku said, disappearing.  
  
Fuuko's face was as red as Recca's flame. "That nasty old pervert! If I get my hand on him, I'll make the wind swept off his feet from the ground!"  
  
Even Mikagami couldn't help smiling. "That really resembles Fujimaru, don't you think?"  
  
"Eh, Ice Man finally breaks through, heh?" Koganei said, grinning evilly.  
  
"Shut up, Koganei."  
  
"I speak the truth, ne?"  
  
"Just shut up…"  
  
***  
  
"Well, that was a huge success, Recca," Kagerou said, smiling. "All the foods are gone…"  
  
"Sugoi!" Yanagi said, smiling. "All my cakes and recipes are finished…"  
  
"Yeah, Gashakura stuffed all of it inside himself…" Domon said disgustedly.  
  
"Yeah? I saw you sneaking off with a plate of cakes into the bathroom, Domon-sama," Ganko said, smiling.  
  
"Iie… ah? What are you talking about? I didn't—ah! Shut up, you little brat." *Covered Ganko's mouth* "Eh, if you shut up about it, I'll give you the leftovers—it's still in the bathroom," he whispered.  
  
Ganko nodded. "Deal."  
  
"All in all, this party's a big success." Recca smiled with satisfaction. "In fact, I don't think anyone didn't have any fun—I know I have fun betting with Kurei and Neon. Joker kept getting Joker cards too."  
  
Fuuko, though, looked at the doorway, where Mikagami was already going through. She noticed he had some fun…but not all of the time. He's quiet—well, he usually is quiet. But he looked different tonight. Maybe she should go and talk to him.  
  
"You had fun, Fuuko?" Yanagi asked shyly. "I know Raiha didn't show up, but we tried to invite him. He's too busy though…Um, he said he had some business."  
  
"I had fun," Fuuko said, but she felt a little stab in her heart when Yanagi mentioned Raiha. He didn't show up tonight… Well. What can she say? Guess she's not as important as she makes out herself to be to Raiha. Maybe that "business" was really a date with someone else.  
  
"You have a funny way of showing it," Koganei said, smirking.  
  
"You shut up and you'll still have your head," Fuuko warned. "Now, if you don't mind, I need some fresh air after all of that alcohol breath Fujimaru gave me. And Recca, please try to control Koku, ne? He keeps bothering me!"  
  
"Not my fault." Recca shrugged.  
  
Fuuko picked up an empty can of Coke and threw it at Recca's head, then went out while she still can. Fuuko searched for Mikagami, looking around. Where could he be? He seems pretty serious tonight—not that he wasn't serious all of the time, but tonight he seemed really serious. He can't still not be over Mifuyu, can he? Can't he just let go of the past?  
  
"Hey, Fuuko."  
  
That greeting caught Fuuko off guard that she almost trip. "Oh, hi, Mi-chan. What are you doing out here when you could be in there?"  
  
"I'm kinda anti-social, aren't I?"  
  
"Oh. Okay."  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"Just…to hangout."  
  
"Right."  
  
"What? Wasn't I convincing enough?"  
  
"I didn't say that. I just said 'right'. That's all."  
  
"Whatever," Fuuko said, sighing. "You have got to stop being so desolated, Mi-chan. You know what they talk about you behind your back or in front of you, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah," Tokiya said. "Whatever."  
  
"Don't you care at all?" Fuuko asked him, exasperated. Once in a while, it wouldn't really hurt to reveal your feelings, would it? How Fuuko wished that was true with Tokiya's case. "You are so complicated."  
  
"Thanks for the compliment." Tokiya just looked at the sky, perhaps reminiscing something. Things were awkward for a while, and Fuuko felt a little uncomfortable.  
  
Say something, Fuuko thought. "Umm… you know, I'm kinda disappointed that Raiha didn't show up at the party tonight," she said. "I mean, I was kinda hoping—"  
  
"Yeah, I know what you're hoping," Tokiya said.  
  
Uh…okay. Fuuko sighed. Could this get any worse? Come on, say something else. "Um. Yeah, well. Maybe, you know, he has a girlfriend or something? What do you think?"  
  
"What do you care what I think?"  
  
"Ugh! What is with you? You know what?" Fuuko exclaimed, exasperated. "I give up. I give up trying to talk to you—you're just hopeless, you know that?" With that, Fuuko stormed and walked away from Tokiya.  
  
"You know… Those stars reminded me of someone."  
  
What? Fuuko thought, stopping at her tracks. She turned to Tokiya, who's still looking at the stars. "Like who?"  
  
"Mifuyu…"  
  
Drat. Shouldn't have asked him that. Fuuko sighed. "You have to get over her, Mi-chan. She's gone. You know who the killer is—and the killer is dead, isn't he? Come on, Mi-chan. You can't go on with life just thinking about Mifuyu all the time. It's just…not right."  
  
Tokiya sighed. "I appreciated you saying that, Fuuko." He shook his head. "But unfortunately, someone like you wouldn't understand what I felt like."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Fuuko asked him, trying to keep her cool. "You don't even know what I went through, Mikagami."  
  
Tokiya just looked at her with ice-cold eyes. "Hmmm" was all that he muttered.  
  
Inside, Fuuko was enraged, but outside, she kept her cool. "Hmmm, huh? Look, Mikagami, we all know what your story is—and we are bored of it, okay? I mean, like, we totally support you and all, but we just don't really like it when you mop around and just keep all the things to yourself, okay? We have our problems, but you don't see us keeping it to ourselves."  
  
Tokiya looked at Fuuko. "You're not exactly the kind of girl who can keep something to herself." Then as simple as that, he looked back at the stars.  
  
"Nanii?! Wait a minute, wait a minute! Repeat that again, please?"  
  
"I said—"  
  
"Okay, I know what you said, but it just doesn't make sense yet in my mind, oh wait; now it does." Fuuko fumed. "Are you telling me that I'm a busybody, that I'm a too-loud girl?"  
  
"Well…"  
  
"Okay, you know what?" Fuuko just threw her hands up in the air. "Fine. Whatever. I don't care what you do anymore—go on, mop around about Mifuyu all year, all decade, all century, for all I care! I have more things to worry about." She turned on her heels (not her heels or anything, but…oh, you know what I mean) and walked from Tokiya. "I'm sorry I even tried to talk to you—I'm sorry I even bother!"  
  
Tokiya just sighed. "It's true what they say, I really am an Ice Man."  
  
***  
  
"I just don't get him," Fuuko said to herself. "What is wrong of letting go of the bitter memories? That's all I can think about!" While muttering, she washed her daily shirts and hanged them on the dryer. "Whatever. I don't care. For all I care, he can go and kill himself—not like it'll bring any changes in the Hokage Team. He's been so silent, so intelligent, so rich, so icy!"  
  
"Jeez, Fuuko, why don't you say that louder so the whole world can hear it?"  
  
Fuuko spun around to see Mikagami at the doorway of the washing room. "What…what are you doing here?" Embarrassed by being caught speaking to herself, she added, "How did you get in?!"  
  
"Picked the lock with my ensui," Mikagami said, shrugging as if it was no big deal.  
  
"Nanii ten yo?! Are you crazy? You baka! You could be a potential thief, you know that?!" Fuuko said, enraged. Then she realized that she was wearing nothing but the towel wrapping her body. "Oh, okay? You know what? This is a bad time. I just came out of the showers—I don't need this. I need to cool down."  
  
"I believe I can do that for you, being the Ice Man that I am," Mikagami said, smirking.  
  
"Shove it," Fuuko said, shoving her way pass him to her bedroom and locked the door. "And don't try picking at it with your ensui, you pervert!"  
  
"Heh, as if I want to." The tone was casual, yet mocking. What is up with this guy?!  
  
"You've got to be kidding me." Fuuko shook her head. She dressed herself up in her casual attire and got out of her bedroom. She faced Mikagami and asked him, "Okay. What do you want?"  
  
"I just want to say sorry," Mikagami said. "Seriously, you shouldn't have made any efforts of trying to help me. People failed in doing that for me."  
  
"Oh, sorry for trying." Fuuko just rolled her eyes and walked to her front door. "Now if that's it, you can happily go on to your own house."  
  
"Okay. You sure you're forgiving me?"  
  
"Since when do you care?" Fuuko asked him, smirking as he got out of her house. Before he could speak anymore, Fuuko slammed the door in his face, smiling to herself. 


	2. Fuuko in a Wedding Dress? Getting Weirde...

Fuuko just smiled the next day—well, at least she tried, and nothing says more than that. Besides, Mikagami was always not easy to talk to. He really is the Ice Man everyone described him. Fuuko couldn't believe that until she saw him with her own eyes. Boy, the rest of the team was right. It's not like Fuuko haven't seen the "Ice" side of Mikagami before, but that was in battles. Now that she sees him like that in person… Well…it was different.  
  
"Baka," Fuuko muttered. She was taking a walk and stopped, looking at the playground. She smiles. She really missed playing here with her sister… No one really knows her, Fuuko decides.  
  
Without anymore thoughts, Fuuko walked to the deserted playground and walk towards the swing. She took a seat in one of the swings, and it doesn't take a liposuction to know that she's a little overweight for the swings. Ah well, Fuuko thought, sneering at herself.  
  
Fuuko sighed. Why she hadn't revealed her secrets to the others, she doesn't know it either. She has her own secrets too, which may never be out…forever. In a way, she is kind of like Mikagami. But that's really different. Mikagami never reveals anything. At least Fuuko had her say.  
  
Fuuko began to sway in her swings, humming a little song under her breath. I can never forget that scream… Fuuko thought. She was so young… But that was no time to reminisce about her past. She was never the one to cry, and she was never the one female who's weak, the damsel-in-distress. She's not like Yanagi-sama. Not that there's anything wrong with Yanagi, but Fuuko's just not like that. This is probably why Recca liked Yanagi better and which is also probably why Recca and Fuuko kept bickering with each other.  
  
Fuuko just loves to retaliate with guys—guys would never expect it, coming from a girl. Not that they don't really expect it. Looking at Fuuko once, and they'll know that Fuuko's a 'tomboy'. That's what everyone else says. They'll know that Fuuko is no damsel.  
  
Fuuko began humming the song again under her breath…  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"Aaaaiiieee!" Fuuko fell from the swings and onto the ground.  
  
Isn't it bad enough that she fell? Now Mikagami had to witness it? "What do you want, Mi-chan?" she snapped. She quickly got up and brushed off the dirt on her jeans.  
  
"Um…Just want to talk," Mikagami said, but Fuuko could see that he's struggling not to smile at her fall.  
  
"It's okay, I can take it," Fuuko said. "Come on, just smile. I know I looked weird and funny falling from the swings like that." She rolled her eyes as Mikagami finally smiled. "Okay, now matte. I don't want you to smile forever like that." What a nightmare that would be, Fuuko thought. "So. You feeling better?"  
  
"Ano," Mikagami said, smiling a little. To Fuuko's utter amazement, Mikagami sat down on one of the swings next to Fuuko's swing. Okay. Getting weirder by the minute here, Fuuko thought.  
  
"Sure is a nice breeze today," Mikagami said. "I wonder if the wind really does follow your mood, Fuuko-san."  
  
"Nah." Fuuko said. "I'm feeling amazed now."  
  
"At what?"  
  
"At how good-mood you are today…"  
  
"Hmm."  
  
Is that all he has to say? Hmmm? Fuuko rolled her eyes and sits on the swing. "So what are you doing here?" she asked him nonchalantly, swinging her swings.  
  
"Just to clear my mind," Mikagami said, shrugging indifferently.  
  
"Hmm, right," Fuuko said, tracing in the sand with her sneakers. "I do that all the time. And I always come here to reminisce about my sis—hey, what am I doing telling you all this?"  
  
"Because you follow your instinct," Mikagami said. He shrugged again.  
  
"Mikagami, you are a baka," Fuuko said, smiling. "Oh, shit. I have to get home. Bye."  
  
***  
  
Fuuko began to think about her conversation with Mikagami for the past two days. He's strange, sure, but he's actually okay. He's not really the kind of guy you would like to talk to, as he can be really cold.  
  
She thinks again about as what she was about to tell Mikagami that evening—she was horrified to think that she almost told him about her tragedy. This is just so weird. Thinking about it makes Fuuko thought about her mother and her sister. She missed her sister so much… and her mother. Her mother had gone back to Europe, god knows why… The only thing her mother left her to let Fuuko remember of her is—god knows why—a wedding dress. That's it. A wedding dress. Not a picture, not a locket, not anything that's ordinary, but a wedding dress. How weird is that?  
  
Maybe that's why I love her so much, Fuuko thought. She's just so quirky. Without even realizing it, Fuuko began to cry a little. "Fuuko, you baka! Why are you crying?" she said to herself, smiling and sniffling. She swept away her tears and took the wedding dress out of an antique-looking kind of box and held it in front of her.  
  
"Mom must've been really beautiful when she gets married," Fuuko said to herself, smiling. "I wouldn't be so sure I'd look that beautiful…" she said thoughtfully. "Well, there's only one way to find out, ne?" With that, Fuuko went into her bedroom with the wedding dress and changed into it.  
  
After that, she went out into the living room—where the full-sized mirror is—and checked herself out. "Ne, I looked decent at least," Fuuko said, shrugging indifferently and smiling to herself.  
  
Suddenly the door opens, revealing Mikagami…again.  
  
"Aaiii! Mikagami, you baka! I thought I warned you not to use your ensui to pick my lock again!!!" Fuuko screamed on the top of her lungs. Then she realized that she was in a wedding dress. "Oh shit! Get out, get out! You baka!"  
  
"Nanii? Why would you want to dress up in a wedding dress?" Mikagami said. "Planning to marry soon?"  
  
"No!" Fuuko said, throwing a box at Mikagami, who dodged it easily. Duh, Fuuko thought. "Get out, Mikagami!" she said, exasperated.  
  
"Why?" Mikagami thought, letting himself into Fuuko's house and closing the door behind him. "You look beautiful, Fuuko."  
  
"Nanii?! Is this Mikagami talking?!" Fuuko said, laughing. "Oh god, someone possessed your body, Mikagami."  
  
"I'm serious," Mikagami snapped. "Why is it that when I'm trying to be serious, you won't take me seriously? I was always serious, wasn't I?" Well, he does look serious.  
  
"You just don't sound like your usual serious self, ne?" Fuuko said, laughing again. "Now if you would kindly get out—"  
  
"Fuuko, come on, you wanted to talk, let's talk." Mikagami looked serious.  
  
Fuuko looked at him and then sighed. "Fine," she said. "Just let me change out of this wedding dress." She rolled her eyes and walked toward her bedroom.  
  
"Don't change," Mikagami said. "I really need to talk."  
  
"Go to Yanagi! She's almost like your sister, isn't she?" Fuuko said.  
  
"You baka," Mikagami said, shaking his head. "First you want me to talk, and when I'm ready to talk, you just want to make the time expand—and if that happens, I'll chicken out."  
  
"You? Chicken out?" Fuuko said, smirking. She finally relented on Mikagami's words. "Fine. Take a seat anywhere you want."  
  
"Hmmm."  
  
Fuuko took a seat too. "So. Ready to talk yourself out?"  
  
"Kind of," he said.  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"Well." Mikagami sighed. "I think I'm finally over the whole Mifuyu incident, although I cannot say totally. I mean, I still miss her so much and even Yanagi couldn't replace her. It's great having someone to talk to, Fuuko. You don't really know how it is with me."  
  
"Yes, I do," Fuuko said. "I know exactly how you felt." Just what I went through… "I totally understand."  
  
"You do?" Mikagami asked, looking surprised. "I mean, not to sound surprised, but you don't really come across as a…you know, the damsel-in- distress kind of stuff."  
  
Fuuko laughed. "Boy, you know me so well," she said. "No one really knows me, Mi-chan, even Recca, my former neighbor and childhood friend. I never really tell anyone about it."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Fuuko sighed. "I miss my sister. And my mom."  
  
"Sister?"  
  
"I'm not ready to tell you about that yet…" Fuuko said, sighing. "Mom has gone back to Europe…god knows why. It's just that…I wish she was here, you know? To support me with everything."  
  
Mikagami looked at Fuuko with new interest. "Well, this is a side I've never seen before, Kirisawa Fuuko." He seemed to smirk, but Fuuko couldn't really tell.  
  
"You wouldn't know," Fuuko said. "I missed her like you missed Mifuyu. I know, I know, I'm not so unfortunate as to loss her for real. And I at least have this wedding dress to remind me of her…"  
  
"Oh, so that's hers."  
  
It didn't come out as a question, but a statement. "Yes, this dress is hers. It's beautiful, and I'm sure she must've looked beautiful in it—and I know for a fact that I don't look anywhere near beautiful (except decent, perhaps) in this wedding dress."  
  
"Fuuko, you don't know that you looked beautiful in that, do you?"  
  
"Hmm," Fuuko said, rolling her eyes. "Nice try. I was lucky I can even fit into it."  
  
"Kirisawa Fuuko, you're kidding yourself."  
  
"No I'm not," Fuuko retorted, her face burnt with embarrassment. "I know…well, I know what guys think of me, Mi-chan. One look at my bust—'oh, she's a bimbo!', you know? I know what people think of me…especially people like Domon and Fujimaru. Do you think that will help me get my confidence? I don't think so."  
  
Mikagami looked at her sternly. "Fuuko, you're being stubborn. You're beautiful, all right? You're not a bimbo—no one looks at you that way"—well, maybe that's a lie—"and you know that I don't look at you that way, okay?"  
  
"Since when do you care? Since when do I care that you care?" Fuuko asked, rolling her eyes. "You think I'm dumb, huh? You know what the others think of me. Domon, Fujimaru, god, perhaps the whole team of Hokage! Even Yanagi, I suppose."  
  
"Nanii?" Mikagami said, smiling. "You know that Yanagi would never think of anyone that way."  
  
Fuuko snorts. "Ah yes, the sweet, sweet Yanagi that everyone couldn't help loving," she said bitterly. "Compared to her, I'm like a tomboy, a bimbo and everything else in between." She laughed a little. "Maybe that's why I don't really have confidence in myself."  
  
"Fuuko, you don't mean that, do you?" Mikagami asked, a little on the soft side. "You know you're not like that."  
  
"Oh, yeah, try telling that to everyone," Fuuko said. "Even to my inner voice. All my life I've been treated like a boy, no one dares to taunt me because they know I would retaliate or beat them up—no one really knows the side of me—"  
  
"Matte!" Mikagami said. "That's it, Fuuko. No one would make you feel bad—you have to trust in yourself—who cares what other people think? Your world doesn't revolve around them, does it?"  
  
Fuuko looked at Mikagami closely and curiously. Is this really Mikagami talking? Fuuko suspected it wasn't, since Mikagami looked really serious all the time—Mikagami wouldn't say something so sweet and so…well, encouraging. Somehow everything that Mikagami said wasn't what he really meant to say. He's being really weird. Ever since Fuuko tried to talk to him after the "Hokage Party".  
  
"Fuuko?"  
  
"Huh?" Fuuko snapped back to reality. "Oh, gomennasai, I was zoning out on you there… Um. Well. Everything you said is sweet and stuff, but even I couldn't bring myself to trust that words, Mi-chan. I guess…well, I guess I just couldn't trust it until I really believe in myself—and right now, I don't really have my confidence."  
  
***  
  
Tokiya really wished that he could give Fuuko the confidence she needed—she has a really low self-esteem. Where did that come from? Tokiya always thought that Fuuko was the kind of girl who could take care of herself, who's always confident in what she's doing, who always knows what she's doing or what she's going to do. But he guessed that even though Fuuko didn't look like it, she has some issues with her confidence as well.  
  
What she need is a confidence-booster. Now, if only that's available in stores near him…  
  
***  
  
Fuuko sighed—it's just another cold day where the breeze is blowing bitterly in her face. Maybe it's true what Mikagami says, that the wind follows her mood. Right now she does feel kind of bitter after what Mikagami said about her confidence. Really, who cares what he thinks? Who cares what others think? Maybe Fuuko should forget about this thing. It's not like it matters much to anyone. Even Mikagami wouldn't care about that. He's got his own problems, probably concerning Mifuyu.  
  
Fuuko found herself stopping at the deserted playground again. This time the seesaw looked kind of broken, like some fat kids sat on it altogether, and the slide looked dirty—probably because of the nasty rain last night… All that raining with the wind blowing hard outside…  
  
This time, Fuuko didn't hesitate to sit down at the swing. The swing is really one of her favorites of all playgrounds' stuffs. It just allows her to sit, think and play at the same time—if there was an exercise thing like that, she would be really fit. Not that she needed to, she's perfectly happy the way she is. Now there's a positive thought, Fuuko thought with a little smile. But it takes a lot more than that to make her truly happy.  
  
Fuuko just sat there, thinking all about her sister and her mom, whether both of them are happy even though both are at different places. Very different places, she might add. Maybe Fuuko should've followed her mom to Europe—it wouldn't be so bad, would it?  
  
Maybe it would, Fuuko thought bitterly. One look at me and they would classify me as a bimbo with the big bust. It's probably best to stay here with all the perverts. It wouldn't seem so bad because the perverts are in a way her friends. Weird, but it's true.  
  
"So are you ready to boost your confidence?"  
  
And once again, Fuuko failed to take grasp of the swing's chains and lose her balance. "Aaaiiieee!" she cried, falling on the ground again. She heard Mikagami laughing a little and her face burnt. "Would you stop it with that?!" she screamed, strangling Mikagami in the process. :) Fuuko wouldn't really change, ne?  
  
"Couldn't help it." He sat down as Fuuko possessed her swing again.  
  
"One would actually think a baka like you enjoy that fall," Fuuko said, rolling her eyes. Even though she was a little bitter toward Mikagami, she could take some company. After all, she already felt crappy—Mikagami couldn't make that worse. (Could he? :p)  
  
"So. Are you ready?"  
  
"For what?"  
  
"A confidence-booster."  
  
"What is this? A joke?"  
  
"No," Mikagami said with a glint in his eyes. "Get ready for a confidence-booster."  
  
Awkward silence follows them.  
  
"Um…I'm waiting," Fuuko said, straining not to throw Mikagami a sarcastic smile.  
  
"Oh," he said, shrugging. "Are you ready to talk about your sister?"  
  
"Nanii!" Fuuko said, enraged. "Mi-chan, you know that's a soft spot! Once couldn't reach that until I'm ready to let them reach there." Still, Fuuko couldn't help but feel helpless—she really would like to tell Mikagami about her sister.  
  
"Fuuko-chan, follow your instincts…"  
  
Fuuko looked steadily at Mikagami until she finally relented. She sighed. "Fine." She looked at a distance for a while. "Well. Um, when I was 11, I used to have a sister. And I hit puberty"—okay, maybe that wasn't necessary…—"and I got tired with playing with my sister. She's just too nosy and she always wants to do what I was doing.  
  
"At first, of course, I was annoyed. I have new interests now—one that my sister couldn't share. I mean, what would she care about boys? She hasn't hit puberty yet. So this one day I just took a walk home with one of my guy friends, and my sister got kind of…well, curious.  
  
"It was an innocent walk, just a walk home from a friend, it's not what you think," Fuuko said, noticing Mikagami's look. "Well, when she confronted it to me in front of my guy friend, I was of course very embarrassed. I just ran from the scene, leaving my guy friend behind (confused, nonetheless) and my sister chasing me, saying "matte", "wait" and all that.  
  
"I was angry. I just kept running. Until I heard my sister screamed…" Fuuko closed her eyes and take a deep breath. "She…we didn't really hear the car coming, and I just thoughtlessly cross the road…well, I guess I was fortunate, but my sister wasn't." Fuuko didn't realize it yet, but she let out a little choked sob.  
  
Mikagami, aware of the sob, didn't know what to do. "It's okay, Fuuko, you can keep telling me—I don't mind… oh crap, don't cry…"  
  
Fuuko rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands and gave out a nervous laugh. "Don't—I mean, don't be worried or anything," she said. "This always happens when I reminisce about my sister… or my mother, for that matter… Uh… where was I?"  
  
"You were saying your sister was unfortunate, Fuuko-chan," Mikagami said softly, a little uneasy. "Listen, if you want to stop, you can… I know how painful it is to recall a tragedy…"  
  
"No! You asked me to tell you this," Fuuko said angrily. "I'm not letting that go so easily…" Oh, nice move, Fuuko. "And…well, she was there…just lying there like a mannequin… Lifeless. Her eyes were closed, but I was sure she didn't die yet—I still saw her breathing. If only I had called the police that time, she wouldn't have die yet…  
  
"Instead, you know what I did?" Fuuko laughed. "Silly me, I talked to her, telling her how sorry I am. Crap, that's what I am. I'm a baka not to realize that the more I talk to her, the more she's slipping away from me. I was damned selfish. Now I realize that I didn't care about her at all—all I care was that I get to say sorry to her."  
  
Fuuko sniffed. "I don't blame myself for it—I'm not one of that person who pitied themselves constantly, no offence"—Mikagami took it well—"but one of my regrets is that I didn't call the police, that I was so selfish as to let her die there… I mean, I know it's my fault, but what's gone is gone…"  
  
A long silence followed them, but it wasn't the awkward silence—just the kind of silence that would make you feels relaxed, the one that you've been waiting for…  
  
"How do you feel now?"  
  
"Much better, actually…" Fuuko said, smiling a little and rubbing her eyes again. "I mean, someone finally knows about it… I finally tell someone about it and not mopping around about it." She smiles again. "I feel good."  
  
"Do you feel…more confident?"  
  
Fuuko looked at Mikagami, surprised. Then she laughed. "Is that what this is about? To give me a confidence-booster?" Fuuko said, smiling and laughing. "You are so sweet—but cold. Ah well, one can't be too perfect, eh, okama?"  
  
Mikagami gave Fuuko that sharp-eyes glance. "If you still wanna live…"  
  
Fuuko laughed. "Gomen, gomen…" she said. "Thanks, anyway. Where did you get the weird idea that if I let it all goes, I'll be more confident?"  
  
Mikagami blushed. (Eh? 0_o) "I'm new to this, Fuuko-chan," he said.  
  
"Ah well, it's still a good deed, ne?" Fuuko said, smiling. "And a good deed needs a reward… Hmmm… what shall I give you for your try to make me feel confident?"  
  
"A thanks would be great," Mikagami said dryly, rolling his eyes.  
  
Fuuko laughed again. "Sweet," she said, giving Mikagami a peck on the cheek. She got up from her swing and began to walk home. She heard low running footsteps behind her.  
  
"Iie? What was that for?!" Mikagami said, touching his cheek, turning red with embarrassment. (His mouth got real big while scolding Fuuko)  
  
Fuuko laughed—for the umpteenth time. "Oh, come on," she said. "I know it's too much for you, but you deserve it."  
  
Mikagami blushed. "No, I don't." He fumed. "What I need is a real kiss," Fuuko suddenly heard him mutter.  
  
Fuuko stopped dead in her tracks. "NANII?!"  
  
Mikagami turned to Fuuko. "What?" Uh-oh. Did she really hear that? Mikagami thought.  
  
"You just said…"  
  
Mikagami sighed. "Yes, I know what I just said," he said. "And I don't deny it."  
  
Fuuko looked puzzled and worried. Eh? Where did worry come from? Mikagami thought nervously. "Mi-chan…" she said softly, trying to force a laugh. "Your brain has melted."  
  
"No, my brain hasn't melted," Mikagami said furiously. He looked down at his feet. "But my heart has."  
  
Mikagami finally brought his face up to see Fuuko looking at him in a weird way. "Don't think less of me because of this," Mikagami said as he cupped Fuuko's face in his hands and kissed her lightly on her lips.  
  
Their lips parted after a while, and a nervous smile escaped Mikagami's lips. "I'm sorry I had to do that—I guess it was my last option to make you more confidence."  
  
Fuuko laughed feebly. "Um, it's a lame attempt." Without warning, Fuuko kissed Mikagami again and put her arms around Mikagami's shoulders. Then she pulled herself back. "But you know what? It worked. How stupid is that?"  
  
But Mikagami didn't care about that anymore. What he cared about was Fuuko, and he for one knows that Fuuko returns that feeling to him as they both kissed together in the deserted playground. 


End file.
